Cooper didn’t see Miss Ferrand for the rest of the afternoon, but he kept his head down in the halls between classes, just in case. Maybe she went home to change. The final bell rang, and he hit a set of side doors and circled around the outside of the building. He wasn’t going to risk the main doors. He had to focus on other things now—like the fact he might get a call from the police on the cell in his pocket. He had to handle it right. Quick. Disguise his voice. And not give anything away.
The safest thing would be to walk home. Explain to Gordy later. To get on the bus was to potentially walk into a trap; but if he walked, he might not make it to the park before the phone call came.
Cooper stayed in the front of the building, but stalled getting on the bus. He’d hop aboard just before it left. If Miss Ferrand or the principal came looking for him, he’d be a sitting duck on the bus.
Gordy found him easy enough.
“Miss Ferrand ever find you?” Gordy said.
“No.”
Gordy looked at him. “Just how do you plan to avoid her in English tomorrow?”
“Great question,” Cooper said. “I don’t know. I just have to make it through today first.” He scanned the mass of students gushing out of the school. A couple of teachers were supervising by the bus lines. But no Miss Ferrand.
Lunk pushed through the crowd and headed their way. Great. Dread settled in Cooper’s stomach.
“Hey, MacKinnon.”
Lunk’s voice sounded casual enough, but he had an intensity in his eyes.
Gordy took a step back.
Cooper looked past him toward the exit doors. “Thanks for what you did at lunchtime.”
Lunk gave a half smile. “I enjoyed it. You want to tell me what is going on?”
A direct question. One Cooper didn’t want to answer. Something about Lunk’s eyes said he had a pretty good boloney detector himself.
“It was stupid,” Cooper said. He brushed on a smile. “I overreacted to something she said in class. I had a feeling she wanted to talk to me about it.”
“Just wondering.” Lunk pulled out a pocket spiral notebook. “Either of you have a marker I can borrow?”
The question sounded innocent, but warnings went off in Cooper’s head. Did he really need a marker, or did Lunk want to see if Cooper had one?
Gordy shrugged. “Not me. Cooper always has one in his pack. Right, Coop?”
Cooper cringed inside. “Yeah. I, ah, should have one somewhere.” He lowered his backpack and hovered over it, making a show of checking each compartment. All the while he knew the marker was in his jeans pocket.
The crowds of students thinned, forming spaghetti lines onto the buses. In a minute they’d have to get on the bus or risk being spotted too easily on the sidewalk. Could he stall that long?
“I need black,” Lunk said. “Permanent.”
“That’s the only kind he carries,” Gordy said.
Great, Gordy. Cooper stood and shrugged. “Must have lost it.”
Gordy pointed. “How ‘bout your pockets?”
Cooper wanted to glare at Gordy, but Lunk’s eyes were locked on him. He checked his pockets, slowly. He hoped Lunk would tell him to forget it. Tell him he didn’t need it anyway. He felt it in his right front pocket. Should he pull it out?
Lunk kept his eyes on him. He didn’t look like a guy who was going to let it go. Cooper pulled the marker out. “Will this work?” He handed Lunk the marker.
Lunk pulled off the cap and looked at the tip. “It looks perfect.”
“We gotta go,” Cooper said. “Keep the marker until tomorrow. We’d better catch our bus.” He shouldered his pack.
Gordy started trotting toward the sidewalk. Cooper followed, but Lunk called after him.
“Tell me, MacKinnon. Exactly what didn’t you do?”
“Ride my bike. So if I miss the bus, I’m toast. We can talk tomorrow.”
Lunk stood there, his weight settled mainly on one foot. The look on his face said he intended to follow up.
And if he did, Cooper really was toast.